James Freeman, whose love for Japanese culture has long manifested itself into Blue Bottle via Kyoto iced coffee, siphons and designs (to name a few areas), has signed a lease on a coffee bar and roastery in Tokyo in a neighborhood that he says reminds him of his Oakland one. Freeman is also in negotiations for two more Blue Bottle locations there.

Blue Bottle’s Tokyo facility is 7000 square feet, and will include a training room, coffee cupping room, roastery (featuring a Loring SmartRoast), offices, pastry kitchen, and a retail cafe. Caitlin Freeman, who heads Blue Bottle’s robust pastry program, will be directly involved in creating a food menu for the Tokyo cafe, which will include her popular stateside standards like granola, saffron snickerdoodles, and absinthe biscotti–and may also include new pastries specifically designed for Japan.

Read the long Sprudge interview with Freeman, where the Blue Bottle overlord discusses everything from Tokyo costs to his first day at the Oakland farmers’ market.

Blue Bottle won’t be the only Bay Area food business to plant a flag in Tokyo though; don’t forget about A16 Tokyo. Next up for Blue Bottle in the Bay Area: That aforementioned Palo Alto outpost.